Liberty Maven

It seems to be Bob Barr day today thanks in part to his several media appearances. Bob Barr went into the liberal mass of confusion known as Air America today when he was interviewed by Thom Hartmann. The majority of the interview was quite contentious as you might expect. In the end they run out of time in the middle (or end) of a discussion on the “general welfare” clause in the Constitution. Hartmann seems to think that it allows for policies such as nationalized health care while Barr tells Hartmann that he is misinterpreting it. The audio lasts about 15 minutes. Listen below.

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Bob Barr spoke with Andrew Napolitano on the Brian and The Judge radio show this morning on FOX Radio. Of interest perhaps is that Barr readily admitted he’s not going to win the election and there are two other very important goals for his candidacy at this point. This is the first time he has actually said he wasn’t going to win. It is true though he’s always said it was unlikely. Listen to the 6+ minute interview audio below.

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After watching the first two so-called main stream party debates it is quite refreshing to hear a candidate give very direct answers to the questions he is asked. Bob Barr did that during his 6 minutes on NPR yesterday. Instead of talking around the problem and answering direct questions with subterfuge like McCain, Palin, Obama, and Biden, Barr answers with precision. That must almost be enough for some people to vote for the guy even if they disagree with him.

Check out the interview over at the Bob Barr campaign blog.

Ron Paul was interviewed by Alan Colmes on FOX Radio this evening. They discussed the bailout and some rather detailed positions by Ron Paul on what can be done to help fix the economic problems we face. Of course, both Alan and Ron agreed that the good Doctor’s solutions are probably too fundamental to be implemented any time soon. Towards the end of the interview Colmes asks Ron Paul if he will run for President again. Listen below for the answer.

Listen to the the Ron Paul – Alan Colmes Interview [MP3]

Ron Paul was on the radio with Glenn Beck this morning. They discussed the bailout legislation and how it may or may not affect the United States. Both lamented the push towards globalism and the truly frightening prospect of an authoritative central bank for the world. He specifically mentions that he fears a coming “dark ages” due to the stripping of individual liberty through centralized control of money.

Ron Paul also delves into the inner workings in the House of Representatives on how these types of bills get pushed through Congress. He derides the practice of Congressional leadership accusing colleagues of not being “team players” when it comes to voting on the bills.

In an especially interesting moment, Paul tells Beck… “You may not like this, but it means our empire has to end.” Beck then attempts to clarify his position as being more in line with Paul’s thinking than Paul may think. The audio is almost 16 minutes long.

Listen to the interview [MP3]

Ron Paul was interviewed for more than 10 minutes on the NPR show “Tell Me More” with Michel Martin today regarding the recent bailouts. The interview was a bit contentious at times with Ron Paul becoming a bit defensive about a question regarding receiving campaign contributions from the financial industry. His recent announced support of Chuck Baldwin was not discussed.

Listen to the interview here.

Today on the Glenn Beck radio show a caller requested that Beck just come clean, put aside his differences and support the Libertarian Party. Beck responded with something I’ve not heard him say before. He actually echoed Ron Paul’s words that we should not be the “policemen of the world.” He praised Ron Paul for many of his views including his “foreign affairs” view.

It seems his only difference now is the age old argument between “extreme” libertarianism and “moderate” libertarianism, especially with respect to foreign policy. He wants to “turn the corner” and not get ourselves tangled in other country’s affairs, but believes doing so within a few years is just not feasible. This seems to me to be a substantial softening of his “shoot them in the head” rhetoric he espoused last year. What is interesting is that when he thinks “libertarian” he immediately thinks of Ron Paul, a Republican, and not the actual Libertarian nominee for President, Bob Barr. This is interesting because Bob Barr is slightly more in line with Beck’s moderate way of thinking on the foreign policy issue than Ron Paul. Perhaps I should clarify this assertion by saying that Barr’s rhetoric is framed in a more moderate voice than Ron Paul’s normal rhetoric.

I don’t think it is much of a reach to say that Glenn Beck may be in the midst of a slow personal transformation toward Ron Paul’s view on foreign policy. It is this kind of transformation that needs to spread like a good liberty virus to the masses. Getting Beck is a good start. Listen to the 4+ minutes of audio at the link below.

Listen here [MP3]

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Ron Paul was interviewed for 10 minutes on the Bill Press Show today. They discussed monetary policy, fiscal conservatism, and spent a good amount of time discussing the upcoming Rally For The Republic in Minneapolis. Press admitted he has been in contact with the rally organizers to try to speak out on behalf of Ron Paul at the rally. Bill Press is a self described “progressive” radio show host, which is the liberal left’s “nice” word for “liberal”. Once again, Ron Paul demonstrates his ability to truly unite those on both sides of the aisle and everyone in between.

Listen to the interview here.

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This is another great interview with Ron Paul on New York’s WABC radio with Bob Grant. They cover 15 minutes of a myriad of topics including a section where Ron Paul calls McCain and Obama “Tweedledee and Tweedledumb”. Great stuff.

Listen here

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Bob Barr took questions from callers on NPR’s “Talk Of The Nation” today for about 17 minutes. He answered questions that go to the heart of libertarianism. The majority of the questions were regarding the role of government in helping those less fortunate. It was a tad obvious that he was making his points to deaf ears. It must be difficult for Barr to sit in a studio and answer question after question where the “nanny state” is praised while the freedom message is deemed heartless. Kudos for Barr not getting too upset with his answers.

Listen here